In our recent conversation on disengagement in higher education and the characteristics of caring institutions, Kevin McClure said that he would like to see “the employee experience…treated on the same level as the student experience, because the two are very much connected and that means…viewing faculty and staff and their well-being as kind of critical to the [institutional] mission.”
Kevin and I are on the same page here -- and I have volumes to say on the subject of employee/faculty experience at colleges/universities as places of work. Some short thoughts:
1. data from the US and Canada show us that today's students are experiencing depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than ever before. The people in the classroom -- TA, contingent, visiting, TT, tenured profs -- are often the first point of disclosure and/or conflict with students in crisis. How on earth do faculty maintain their own mental and physical health in this environment? What is the obligation of an employer to create a psychologically safe work environment for professors?
2. Individual and collective resilience is a practice, like yoga or basketball, that we have to continually work at in order for it to be a possibility. Whole-person resilience means that the individual feels connected to their own vision of success and self-actualization, as well as connected to community; that they have ample time for sleep and recreation, and access to those things, and that they get to experience a positive feedback loop of success and motivation on a regular basis.
3. Most institutions and leaders talk about "better communication" and "needing to break down silos." I suggest that the sheer volume of talk about these things and lack of progress on that front point to a different issue entirely re: communication. Faculty and administrators and staff don't need MORE communication. They need different communication. Most institutional communication I see revolves around the "what" of work. Who is responsible for what. What are the timelines, the regulations, the policies and procedures. What is in the handbook. Missing almost entirely is the "how" of the work, or the affective channel of communication.
How does IT feel about having their domain reduced or expanded? How might a reduction in staff or an increase in student numbers change the experience of all involved?
These conversations require courage and vulnerability -- qualities not encouraged at most institutions.
What a fascinating conversation! I oscillate between fury at the university institution for failing to create a caring culture for faculty in all the ways described above, and wondering what institutions even do that? Is it only individuals that can truly care?
I was always surprised how quickly faculty concerns about physical safety were dismissed by my previous employer. I went into academia from industry where this wouldn't have been tolerated.
Kevin and I are on the same page here -- and I have volumes to say on the subject of employee/faculty experience at colleges/universities as places of work. Some short thoughts:
1. data from the US and Canada show us that today's students are experiencing depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than ever before. The people in the classroom -- TA, contingent, visiting, TT, tenured profs -- are often the first point of disclosure and/or conflict with students in crisis. How on earth do faculty maintain their own mental and physical health in this environment? What is the obligation of an employer to create a psychologically safe work environment for professors?
2. Individual and collective resilience is a practice, like yoga or basketball, that we have to continually work at in order for it to be a possibility. Whole-person resilience means that the individual feels connected to their own vision of success and self-actualization, as well as connected to community; that they have ample time for sleep and recreation, and access to those things, and that they get to experience a positive feedback loop of success and motivation on a regular basis.
3. Most institutions and leaders talk about "better communication" and "needing to break down silos." I suggest that the sheer volume of talk about these things and lack of progress on that front point to a different issue entirely re: communication. Faculty and administrators and staff don't need MORE communication. They need different communication. Most institutional communication I see revolves around the "what" of work. Who is responsible for what. What are the timelines, the regulations, the policies and procedures. What is in the handbook. Missing almost entirely is the "how" of the work, or the affective channel of communication.
How does IT feel about having their domain reduced or expanded? How might a reduction in staff or an increase in student numbers change the experience of all involved?
These conversations require courage and vulnerability -- qualities not encouraged at most institutions.
What a fascinating conversation! I oscillate between fury at the university institution for failing to create a caring culture for faculty in all the ways described above, and wondering what institutions even do that? Is it only individuals that can truly care?
I was always surprised how quickly faculty concerns about physical safety were dismissed by my previous employer. I went into academia from industry where this wouldn't have been tolerated.